Perceptions...Everything begins with a decision

Another old blog that was sitting in my DRAFT folder.
========================================================

I was thinking about perceptions this morning and thought I would google "perception is reality". I liked the title of this paragraph from Tony D. Clark's we site.

Change Your Story, Change Your Perception, Change Your Life

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/your-perception-is-your-reality.html#

Tony D. Clark

We all get caught up in our stories. Most of us think we are our stories. It’s when those stories take on a life of their own, and that life isn’t the one we want, that things start to suck.

Think about the story you’re living right now. Who wrote it? Did you consciously decide to create the reality you’re living now, or was it mainly shaped by your parents, friends, spouse, school, or the media? If you don’t like the story your living, then change the perception. Envision how you’d write the next chapter of your story. Better yet, actually sit down and write it. Focus your perception on creating a new reality, one where you are in charge of the story. Take back the job as screenwriter and director, and stop just being an actor (unless you’re Rachel McAdams – I rather enjoy her acting).

Everything begins with a decision

---------------------------

Having read that, I proceeded to think about how I have consciously tried, failed or succeeded in changing my reality.

First of all, when I was younger (teens to thirties), I believe I was self-absorbed. It was all about me: tragedy, grief, despair. I don't remember a lot of happy times. That was my reality. When I was a teen (15-16), I used to write dramatic, black poetry. I am not sure where it was, but I saw one of my poems and an instructor had written some comment on it about "life not being that bad"...I think they were concerned for my mental health. Re-reading that poem in my (40's?) I could see why.

I wonder why so many of us go through those pain-filled staged of life? We make it our reality. I pulled myself out of my angst ridden youth, thank goodness!